Editor Bios 2017
This page includes short biographical statements about the wiki editors from Fall 2017. Ian Allen Ian Allen was raised in an isolated, back-of-the-backwoods section of Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in a twist of geological fate that probably accounts for his somewhat unorthodox imagination and writing style. Having been a student peace ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, a presenter at a handful of creative writing conferences, and an editor of a few score novels, it’s becoming apparent that he’s able to hide his rather odd quirks very well indeed. When he’s not mashing cowboys, cyborgs, and dragon models together in attempts to squeeze out creative inspiration for a book he's writing (sporadically and badly), he’s lifting heavy objects to justify his “World’s Strongest Librarian” title. Also, he likes cats. Hannah Boyle Hannah Boyle grew up in small town Cottonwood and moved to Chico in order to attend Chico State University. There she received her BA in English Studies and a minor in Linguistics. She currently works tutoring second-language learners at the ESL Center while attending graduate school. When she is not willfully indulging in her studies, she enjoys coffee and reading, nerding out on video games, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends. Hannah Ellett Hannah Ellett spent the last four years studying English and playing water polo at Whittier College down in Southern California. She is currently living in Chico, CA where she is in her first semester of graduate school at California State University, Chico. After completion of her Master's Degree, Hannah hopes to return to her hometown of Merced, CA and find both a teaching and coaching position at either University of California, Merced or Merced Junior College. When she isn’t on campus or working, she can be found running around outside with her new Queensland puppy, Rita. Andrew E. Gates Andrew E. Gates, born and raised in California, earned his AA’s in History and English from Bakersfield College in 2010. After teaching English in St. Petersburg, Russia and serving as the Director of Studies at American Language Master, he went on to earn his BA in English Studies at California State University, Chico where he is currently in the English Literature Master’s program. His interests include Russian and American Literature with an emphasis on Russian Émigré authors, English Language Literature, Postcolonial Studies, and Translation Theory. He also likes the number 4 which is why he put himself 4th from the top. Mary Gibaldi Mary Gibaldi grew up on the sunny gulf beaches of Florida where her love of books began. She moved to California in 2015 to further pursue her literature obsession at Chico State University. Upon completion of her MA, she hopes to enter a Ph.D. program and research the representation of female friendship in the 20th century American novel. When she needs a break from her studies and work as a tutor, she can be found hiking with her dogs, Samson and Jack London, floating down the Paradise flumes with friends, or playing a spirited game of chess with her equally nerdy husband, Brian. Emily Huso Emily Huso received her BA in English from Walla Walla University in 2017 and is now pursuing her MA in English with a creative writing emphasis at Chico State. Her ultimate goal is to teach or work in publishing to support her writing. This past spring, Emily was a participant in AWP's Writer to Writer Mentorship Program working with nonfiction writer Chauna Craig, and she currently volunteers as an assistant fiction editor at The Tishman Review. Emily is a staff writer at Upgraded Living, ''a lifestyle magazine based in Chico, California. Jeanette Keables Jeanette Keables completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in Creative Writing at CSU Chico in Spring of 2017. An advocate for struggling students, Jeanette has tutored math and English at the elementary and secondary levels. She enjoys time with family, writing prose and poetry, perusing bookstores, and hiking with Curt, her husband of thirty-three years, and their English Labrador, Gus. Jeanette can be found at the public library nearly every week, packing out more books than she can possibly read. Keaton Kirkpatrick Keaton Kirkpatrick is a research assistant studying embedded mentorship in first-year writing courses, a former writing mentor, and a graduate student at CSU, Chico. He plans to earn his MA in the English Language and Literacy Pattern in 2019 and go on to pursue his Ph.D. with hopes to teach English courses at a 4-year university. He is the 2017-2018 English Society/Sigma Tau Delta President and 2017-2018 EGSC Secretary. He dabbles in poetry, but has never been published. Haley LaPlant Haley LaPlant was born and raised in Visalia, California. After receiving her Associates Degree at her local community college, she decided to move to Pueblo, Colorado, where she received her BA Degree in English at Colorado State University - Pueblo and graduated with honors. During her time at CSU-P, her love of literature grew, which is what drove her to pursue a Masters Degree in English with an emphasis in Literature. She is currently in her first semester of enrollment at California State University - Chico. She hopes to teach at a community college and pursue a Ph. D. later in her life. In her spare time, Haley enjoys spending time outdoors, as well as hanging out with her two cats, Luna and Leo. Shane LaVigne Shane LaVigne is a local, growing up in the Chico area. He received the Outstanding Student Award from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in 2013 and studied abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan from 2013-2014. He later received his B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Japanese from CSU Chico in 2015. After graduation, he entered the JET Program and worked for about two years as an Assistant Language Teacher in Shizuoka, Japan. Currently, he is a student at CSU Chico obtaining an M.A. in English Language and Literacy. He also works as a Teaching Assistant in the Ag. Science Department and is President of the Japanese Speaking Society. He hopes to later pursue a Ph.D. and teach English at a university somewhere on Earth, (preferably). Shane has too many hobbies and interests to list here, as he basically likes everything. Charlotte Letellier Charlotte Letellier was born and raised in Berkeley, California in a family of readers and writers. She graduated from Chico State with a BA in English Literature in the fall of 2016, and is currently enrolled in the graduate program. While she is not studying, she’s reading for fun or hiding at home with her two cats, Darcy and Sebastian. She hopes to go on to a PhD program, continuing to study American literature and queer theory. Melanie McLaughlin Melanie McLaughlin is a second-semester graduate student at CSU, Chico. She plans to graduate in 2019 with an MA in the English Literature pattern. Melanie returned to her education after (almost) raising her three boys and looks forward to teaching in the community college. Melanie enjoys hiking, quilting, and the local CARD volleyball league. Jer Xiong Jer Xiong is a Hmong American and received her BA in English from CSU, Chico. Currently, she is a Master's student in the MA of English at the same institution. She is a writing tutor at the Student Learning Center and is the president of the student organization, Hmong Student Association. She is currently a reader for the English department's ''Watershed Review and have been a student editor previously for two semesters. Her activism for more Hmong representation in all fields (and especially in literature) has reward her with the university's Outstanding Student Service award and the Teach Back Award given by the Conversations on Diversity & Inclusion Committee.